very telling to see the inter-cutting of the arab spring with last week in NY,. the speech making by Obama and the speech reading by Clinton is what sets it off though,. hope they pull their heads out their asses and begin to make some of that change we was promised.

23. **** I DON"T Like this...I UN-REC this ...Here is why...(Hear me out on this please) ****

Edited on Wed Oct-12-11 08:55 AM by masmdu

FIRST: I whole-heartedly support OWS and believe money to have corrupted our govt. Further, I believe the Occupy movement to be the correct way to effect change as "normal" avenues to change have become ineffectual. That said please continue to read this post as I explain why I DON'T like this video or the tactics employed in it.

This video appeals to emotional triggers through clever editing and replay for emphasis of the voice and sounds of those who have been targeted by the police here in the US. By editing sequences so that the govt. sanctioned and promoted wholesale ATTACKS on the people protesting in the middle east are conflated with the isolated incidents of overly aggressive clearing and arrest actions by US police is purposely disingenuous, divisive, inflaming.

The experience of life in America in general and down on Wall St. in particular are hardly the same as living under oppressive dictatorship that use violence, torture, disappearances, and threats daily as social control.

The juxtaposition of the images of OWS and Tahir Uprising, Clinton and Obama comments attempt to equate what has happened in the middle east with what is happening here.

They are not the same.

While reprehensible that pepper spray was used, that police have used night-sticks, and have man-handled protesters during arrest and even that the arrest have taken place at all it is not even close to the same as life was/is in undemocratic Egypt, Lybia and Syria.

Equating the two is a DISSERVICE to OWS as it serves to create an emotional US vs THEM mentality between the protesters and the typically (and certainly comparatively speaking when compared with the armies and police of Egypt, Lybia, Syria) non-violent police.

Although I certainly see where you are coming from, I couldnt agree less.

The video seems to be highlighting the hypocrisy of the politicians, showing them as whole heartedly supporting the protest of the Egyptian rule and not in their own country. Regardless of the differences between how our two countries are ruled, Obama and Hilary here are in full support of protest to "seek a chance to contribute and to have a role in the decisions that will shape their lives. LEADERS NEED TO RESPOND TO THOSE ASPIRATIONS and to HELP BUILD THAT BETTER FUTURE." (when its in Egypt)

Obviously murder and overly aggressive "man-handling" are quite different, its besides the point. They are choosing to not back OUR aspirations for a better future.

Our government has spoken out against repression of protest abroad, saying the oppressors must be brought to account. How much have you heard about prosecuting the cops who have pepper sprayed and beaten our protestors? What those cops are doing is, after all, assault, unless it is justified -- but clearly in most of the Occupy cases it is not. If it were prosecuted it would not continue.

The police are trying (counterproductively, it seems) to quiet dissent through their brutality. This is what Pres Obama and Sec'y Clinton are shown speaking out against in other countries. Why can't they stop it here?

The repression is worse in other countries. That said, the video's point still stands.

"Obama and Hilary here are in full support of protest to "seek a chance to contribute and to have a role in the decisions that will shape their lives. LEADERS NEED TO RESPOND TO THOSE ASPIRATIONS and to HELP BUILD THAT BETTER FUTURE.""

This is obviously a call for the Establishment of Democracy as a means of allowing people who up until that point have lived under dictators to "have a roll in the decisions that will shape their lives." We already have a history of democracy here so to expect them to call for democracy would be odd.

As to the 'response of leaders to those aspiration to help build a better future', I support OWS for the very reason that it can bring pressure to force current or evolving leaders to reach such a goal.

The charge of hypocrisy looses it's strength when the comparisons are drawn between situations that are not equivalent. The TACTIC of editing this video in order to create an emotion reaction based on the false equivalency is purposeful manipulation of the viewer and does not serve positive ends.

Yes, yes, we all know that what the protesters are doing on Wall Street is not half as difficult as what they did in Egypt. We all know that stealing our homes through legal trickery and cons is not half as bad as being beaten and burned out of your home (even though in the end you still have no home). We all know that not having enough money to feed your children for 2 days is not half as bad not having enough money to feed your children for weeks (but in the end children are still going hungry). We all know that having to get a $50,000 loan, to get an education and remain in debt for half your working life, is not half as bad as not even having the opportunity to go to a college (but in the end we still have to take crappy jobs to pay our bills). We all understand that our suffering in the US is not half as bad as suffering in some other countries (but in the end we all are suffering).

Should we wait until we can't feed our children for weeks before we act? Should we wait until the CEO of JP Morgan is declared by the Supreme Court US President for Life before we act? Should we wait until we are as bad off as dictator ruled countries before we do something? You know the answer is NO We Should NOT Wait.

So, what if we use the courage and strength demonstrated on the film by Egyptian, Syrians and other protesters to energize and encourage our own people to not wait until it is too late?

No where in the film do they say see, America is just like Egypt. It merely shows how bad tyranny, fascism and brutality can get and how hard the struggle is. Because in the end we are all struggling.

Our call and theirs are completely different. None the less a call has been made for the people to voice their opinions and take to the streets, to overthrow the system that doesn't work for them. Just because we aren't overthrowing our government doesn't mean we aren't taking it back, just as they are.

I do agree that the editing is quite propaganda like and turned me off a bit but none the less raises thoughts and concerns many of us have had.

The msm has dismissed the occupation for the most part. The editing in this video is emotionally charged to demonstrate the hyper-hypocrisy of our government. There are no available videos of the US government torturing suspects, murdering suspects without trials. There are no available videos of our soldiers killing innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are no videos of the innocent held in prison conditions for years. Because of that, whatever these government employees do in public, with everyone watching is just as egregious. If there are no images of these atrocities- no matter how less violent they are compared to those in other countries- it would send the implicit message that they are acceptable. Using the footage in this context is completely relevant and appropriate. Those actions, initiated by the police, create the US vs THEM mentality- not the protesters. It is not the protesters who are at fault- and the police are not being punished for overstepping their bounds. Additionally, the video does nothing to equate what has happened in the Middle East with what is happening, well, here and the Middle East and the rest of the world... it is shining a light on the hypocrisy of our government leaders when it comes to their own country. Using strong, emotionally-charged editing is effective and artful. It is the msm that is manipulating the message. This video just brings it closer to the truth.

I'm also in disagreement with your observation that the fight in "undemocratic Egypt, Libya and Syria" isn't the same. It is the US that enabled those regimes for the good of moral-less corporatists. The US government may not be as demonstrative on its own soil but it is allowing such imbalances while ironically proclaiming to have some moral high ground over these countries. It will only be a matter of time before the US government becomes so threatened that they will use the same underhanded tactics on its own citizens. Social media is the way to fight it and I think more of this type of well-edited message needs to be thrust out there to fight that inevitability.

will the person these folks sent to the White House embrace them? This reminds me of not even acknowledging the panhandler's there as he asks if you can spare some change. Don't even look up - just unlock your Beemer and drop into the seat. Lock the doors - he'll get the message.

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